The cornerstone for human progress and advancement is communication. It is essential for human society to operate. However communication means different things in different cultures.
In this article I want to share just a few of my ideas about personal & business communication in Saudi Arabia.
Everything about the Middle East is complex to us foreigners, and that is especially true in Saudi Arabia.
Just like the rest of the world Saudi Arabia has eagerly embraced sms, email, Bluetooth and other means of mobile electronic communication. And in a personal environment these are used extensively.
So, within the context of this particular article, please allow me to identify the first complexity: in a business environment there is no differentiation between business and personal communication, where the spoken word is counts for everything. And this spoken word carries most weight when delivered face to face.
A business proposal is meaningless unless it is the end result of long periods of discussion and ongoing and regular verbal agreement. The proposal is simply a reflection of the spoken word. In fact it exists more for our own, Western or Asian, benefit than for the Saudi businessman who will more often than not will do a deal on a handshake.
Deals, business agreements, are done on trust and verbal agreement - not on the professionalism, look and feel, and size of a proposal. Yes emails are used. Yes phone calls are made (better). But in order to do business and make money in the Kingdom first requires the gaining of trust.
A senior Saudi executive pointed out to me recently that we Westerners had literally thousands of years to develop a “modern” culture of business process and interaction.
However before oil was discovered in Saudi 70 years ago the Saudis were essentially traders. They understood extremely well the nature of buying and selling, and they were masters of the art of verbal communication. Written contracts were nonexistent and a man’s word was his bond.
So the “modern” way of doing business has been in place in Saudi Arabia for a little over half a century only.
Another complexity is that Saudis find it difficult to say NO. They will find all sorts of "nice" ways to avoid such a direct "confrontational" position. We Westerners are used to being told no. We want to know where we stand. Tell me yes or no and I can move on or stay. Well, it is not so clear cut in Saudi Arabia.
The successful Westerners in Saudi take time to get to know the people they want to work with and they learn to read between the lines. Rarely is there a straightforward "yes" or "no". Verbal interpretation and an understanding of body language can be as important as the spoken word.
Be patient. Talk to everyone. Ask lots and lots of questions. Regardless of whether you do everything right you may still fail, because you cannot force the issue. Meetings will happen when they happen. Decisions will be made when it is time for them to be made. Agreements (verbal & written) will be broken, changed, amended, and broken again.
Very importantly, if you have something to say then be prepared to back it up with proof. Saudis are not gullible and are cautious by nature. They do not like to be first adopters.
Business entertainment in the West and in Asia is really either a celebration (closure of a deal) or a mini-bribe, although few would rarely acknowledge it as such.
In Saudi Arabia however entertainment between people wishing to do business together is an essential and crucial component of the business deal. It is during this time that trust is built. Most entertainment time though is spent talking over coffee or tea in or outside the office environment. The occasional business dinner goes down well but only because it enable the parties to spend more time getting to know each other.
So let’s raise the complexity bar one more level now. Frustratingly for us foreigners, business meetings (formal or otherwise) in Saudi are often interrupted by people or phone calls. Although we would consider this rude it is par for the course in Saudi Arabia. The concept of courtesy is so strong that it is considered rude to not acknowledge a person interrupting the meeting or calling your host on his mobile, and expecting him to answer. This works both ways of course because it enables you to have more access to, and talk with, the person with whom you wish to conduct your business.
I had to go to Saudi Airlines cargo at Riyadh airport a month or so ago to pick up boxes of cargo my wife had sent from the Philippines before moving here and the experience reminded me of the skills one needs to employ to get things done in Saudi Arabia.
I learned that it was important to be patient, look lost, say thank you to everyone, seek help, ask for advice, look helpless, say thank you to everyone. Knowing some basic Arabic goes a very long way.
Business relationships with women are a very complex issue. It would be fair to say that in cities in the Eastern Province (Dammam, Dhahran, Al Khobar) it is ok for a Western man to meet with a Saudi woman in an open environment. The same would apply to Jeddah in the Western Province. It is most definitely not the case anywhere else except for Riyadh in the Central Region. There it depends on the woman and the “open” environment in which you would meet. Unlike the Eastern and Western Regions it is unwise to meet with a woman for business anywhere other than in an office environment.
Regardless of where the meeting with a Saudi woman takes place shaking hands is only acceptable if instigated by the woman. No other form of touching is acceptable.
It is fair to say that a Saudi man can have a “normal” relationship with a Saudi woman. A non Saudi Muslim has a more complex and rule based relationship with a Saudi woman. A non Muslim Westerner or Asian is not allowed to have a personal relationship with a Saudi woman.
The other issue of note is religion and politics. Unless you know your friend or business contact very well they will be quite hesitant to discuss religion, and, most certainly, politics with you. Religious discussions are slowly becoming more common as Saudis return from their education experience overseas. However politics is very complex and best left alone in any discussions.
Expect your personal interactions with your Saudi male friends to take place outside your home or their own. The home environment is for family interaction. The presence of women at home means that your Saudi “buddies” will want to meet at restaurants, coffee shops, etc.
Almost without exception everyone from middle management level and above speaks relatively good to excellent English. I have found that Saudi women usually have a better command of English than the men.
Saudis love to go out and eat, and usually very late at nite. So expect to spend a lot of time eating & conversing with your hosts late into the nite. The only proviso is that women will usually not be present at these outings. We may not be used to such arrangements but it is their country and we choose freely to live and work there, so is seems fair that we do so under their terms.
Saudi is complex yet not complex. This may sound contradictory but it is complex in the sense that it is very different and difficult to understand however it is not complex because once understood the rules of personal interaction are clearly defined and easy to follow.
Almost without exception I have found Saudi people to be warm, friendly, engaging, curious, hospitable, understanding and accepting of other cultures. Understanding them and adapting your communication style will greatly reward your business and personal encounters.
